Appliance timer with buzzer control



Nov. 10; i970 R. M. BASSETT 3,540,029

APPLIANCE TIMER WITH BUZZER CONTROL Filed D80. 14, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 10, 1970 R. M. BASSETT 3,540,029

APPLIANCE TIMER WITH BUZZER CONTROL Filed Dec. 14, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I 47 J2 ea 26 DRUM TIMER 5 M0 T01? M0701? J United States Patent 3,540,029 APPLIANCE TIMER WITH BUZZER CONTROL Ronald M. Bassett, Chicago, Ill., assignor to International Register Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed Dec. 14, 1967, Ser. No. 690,519 Int. Cl. G04c 21/18 US. Cl. 340309.1 14 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A motor driven timer for an electrical appliance is arranged to place in operation a buzzer operated by the motor in advance of the termination of an operating cycle to signal audibly such termination.

When clothing is processed in an electric dryer (particularly permanent press clothing), it is desirable that it be removed promptly upon termination of the drying and tumbling cycle. A reason for this is to avoid wrinkling of the clothing as a result of leaving it in the appliance after the drying drum ceases to rotate.

Among the objects of this invention are: To provide in a new and improved manner for signalling the approach of the termination of a cycle of operation of an appliance, such as an electric clothes dryer; to accomplish this using relatively slowly rotating cam means in cooperation with cam follower means arranged to release a buzzer a relatively short time before the dryer is stopped; to provide duplicate cams for cooperation with individual cam followers that operate in predetermined timed sequence, first to release a buuer arm for operation by the magnetic field of the timer motor that drives the cams, and next to stop the drum of the dryer and deenergize the timer motor; to arrange for manually disabling the buzzer prior to the termination of the operating cycle; and to provide manually operable means for selectively holding the buzzer arm out of operative position.

According to this invention a timing motor drives a pair of identical cams secured to a shaft in aligned relation for controlling the energization of an electric heater in a clothes dryer, the motor that drives the clothes drum, and the timing motor. The cams are provided with two steps at dififerent levels below their peripheries for individual engagement by cam followers one of which controls contacts while the other is mechanically connected to a buzzer arm in the magnetic field of the motor. When the cam followers engage the peripheries of the cams, the contacts are closed to energize the electric heater and the drum driving motor while the buzzer arm is held in the non-operating position. The timer motor drives the cams slowly. When the cam followers drop onto the first step, contacts are opened to deenergize the heater while the drum motor and the timing motor continue to operate and the buzzer arm is held in the non-operating position. Just prior to the end of the operating cycle, the cam follower that controls the buzzer arm moves to the lower step to release the buzzer arm for operation for about one minute and until the other cam follower moves to its lower step whereupon both motors are deenergized and the buzzer arm ceases to vibrate. Several negator devices are employed for either preventing operation of the buzzer arm entirely or, after it starts to operate, and before the end of the cycle causing it to cease operation.

In the drawings: FIG. 1 is a view, in front elevation, of a portion of an electric appliance, such as a clothes dryer, on which the appliance timer embodying this invention is mounted. FIG. 2 is a view, in rear elevation, of the appliance timer. FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the appliance timer, the support plate of the appliance being shown in section. FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken just back of the metallic cover plate for the appliance timer. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the buzzer arm. FIG. 6 illustrates diagrammatically the circuit connections that can be employed in practicing this invention together with the cams for controlling the contacts and for controlling the operation of the buzzer arm. FIG. 7 shows that portion of the cycle of operation in which the buzzer arm has been released for operation while the drum motor continues to operate. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a modified form of negator mechanism. FIG. 9 is a view taken generally along the line 99 of FIG. 8. FIG. 10 illustrates still another form of negator mechanism. FIG. 11 shows the negator mechanism of FIG. 10 in the operated position in which the buzzer arm is held in the non operating position.

In FIG. 1 the appliance timer is indicated generally at 10. While it is described herein as being adapted particularly for use with an electrically operated clothes dryer, it will be understood that it can be employed with suitable modification for operation with a gas fired clothes dryer. Also it can be used for other appliances where a signal is required in advance of the completion of a cycle of operation that this particular time has occurred.

The appliance timer 10 is arranged to be mounted on a support plate 11 which forms a part of the appliance and it carries a timer dial indicia plate 12 with respect to which a pointer 13 is arranged to operate for setting the appliance timer 10 and for indicating its operation. The appliance timer 10 includes support means in the form of a rectangular housing of suitable insulating material. The support means 14 includes a back panel 15, side walls 16 and 17, and top and bottom walls 18 and 19. Metallic cover plate 20 overlies the side and top and bottom walls and is secured to the latter by bendable tabs 21.

On the rear side of the back panel 15 an alternating current synchronous timer motor, indicated generally at 23, is mounted on a metallic plate 24 which is suitably secured to the back panel 13. The motor 23 can be constructed as disclosed in Svarnias US. Pat. 3,350,589, issued Oct. 31, 1967. However, other timer motors can be employed as may be desired.

The timer motor 23 is arranged to drive through a suitable gear reduction train a cam shaft 25, FIG. 4, which is suitably journaled at its ends on the back panel -15 and the metallic cover plate 20. It extends through the latter and carries at its outer end the pointer 13. The arrangement is such that the cam shaft 25 is rotated at a relatively slow speed. For example it may be driven to rotate at a speed of 2 per minute. Mounted for conjoint rotation with the cam shaft 25 are a contact operating cam 26 and a buzzer release cam 27. These cams are identical in construction and are arranged for conjoint rotation by a lat erally extending bar 25 which is secured to the cam shaft 25 and extends through the cams 26 and 27. It will be understood that other cams also can be mounted on the cam shaft 25 for performing additional functions. Since they form no part of the present invention, such additional cams are not disclosed herein.

As shown more clearly in FIG. 6 the cams 26 and 27 have peripheral surfaces 28 and first steps 29 of variable lengths depending upon the particular cycle of operation. Also second steps 30 are provided.

In conjunction with the contact operating cam 26 there is .provided a contact cam follower 31 which is arranged to engage either the peripheral surface 28 or the first or second steps 29 or 30, depending upon the position of the cam 26. The contact cam follower 31 forms a part of a contact arm 32 which is secured at one end, FIG. 4, to terminals 33 which are fixed to and extend through the back panel 15 as seen in FIG. 2. A contact 34 is carried by the distal end of the contact arm 32 and it is arranged to engage an intermediate contact 35 which is carried by the distal end of an intermediate contact arm 36. The intermediate contact arm 36 is secured to a terminal 37, FIG. 4, which is fixed to and extends through the back panel 15. A stop shoulder 38, formed integrally with the back panel 15, serves to limit the movement of the distal end of the intermediate contact arm 36 toward the contact 34. The intermediate contact 35 is arranged to engage a heater contact 39 which is carried by the distal end of a heater contact arm 40 which is secured to a terminal 41, FIG. 4, that is secured to and extends through the back panel 15. A stop shoulder 42, formed integrally with the back panel 15, serves to limit the movement of the heater contact 39 toward the intermediate contact 35.

In FIG. 6 conductors 45 and 46 are indicated as being connected to a 115 volt A.C. source. It will be understood that the source may be a 230 volt source having provision for connection to 115 volts. The present invention is disclosed in conjunction with 115 volt source. A heater element 47 is arranged to be connected for energization between the conductors 45 and 46. Also a drum motor 48 is arranged to be similarly connected and in parallel with the timer motor 23. With suitable modifications the timer motor 23 and drum motor 48 can be arranged for energization to a 115 volt source while the heater element 47 is arranged to be energized from a 230 volt source.

In describing the operation of the appliance timer 10 thus far outlined, it will be assumed that the pointer 13 is rotated to the desired position with respect to the timer dial indicia 12. Such operation rotates the contact operating cam 26 to a position such as that illustrated in FIG. 6 in which the contact 34 engages intermediate contact 35 to lift it from the stop shoulder 38 and it in turn engages the heater contact 39 and lifts it from the stop shoulder 42. Obvious circuits then are completed for energizing the heater element 47, the drum motor 48. and the timer motor 23. The latter rotates the contact operating cam 26 in the direction indicated by the arrow thereon. The several contacts remain closed until the contact cam follower 31 drops down onto the first step 29. This is illustrated in FIG. 7 where the stop shoulder 42 limits the downward movement of the heater contact 39 while the contact cam follower 31 permits downward movement of the intermediate contact 35 to separate from the heater contact 39 and deenergize the heater element 47. The drum motor 48 and the timer motor 23 continue to be energized until the contact operating cam 26 is rotated to such position that the contact cam tollower 31 drops further down and onto the second step 30. In this position the contact 34 has moved downwardly and out of engagement with the intermediate contact 35 which is prevented from following it by the stop shoulder 38. The energizing circuit for the drum motor 48 and the timer motor 23 then is opened and these motors are deenergized.

As pointed out hereinbefore it is desirable to provide an audible signal of the approaching end of the cycle of operation in order to permit the prompt removal of the clothes from the clothes drum when the drum motor 48 is deenergized and ceases to rotate it. It is for this purpose that the buzzer construction now to be described is provided.

As illustrated in FIG. 2 the alternating current timer motor 23 includes a magnetic field structure 51 that has a laterally extending pole piece 52 for the purpose of operating a buzzer arm 53 that is pivoted on a pin 54 which is secured to the metallic mounting plate 24. The buzzer arm 53 is illustrated individually in FIG. 5. A spring 55 around the pin 54 acts to bias the buzzer arm 53 toward the distal end of the pole piece 52. Near the pivot end of the buzzer arm 53 there is provided a longitudinally extending slot 56 that is arranged to receive one end 57 of a buzzer stop lever 58 that is secured to a buzzer stop shaft 59 which is journaled in the back panel 15 and the support plate 11. At its other end inside the support means 14 the buzzer stop shaft 59 carries a buzzer stop arm 60 which has at its distal end a buzzer cam follower 61 for cooperation with the buzzer release cam 27. An adjusting screw 62 serves to vary the position of the buzzer arm 53 with respect to the pole piece 52 for changing the tone of the buzzer operation.

The arrangement of the buzzer cam follower 61 is such that it is arranged, as shown in FIG. 7, to drop into the second step 30 of the buzzer release cam 27 before the contact carn follower 31 drops into the second step 30 of the contact operating cam 26. It will be understood that, while the buzzer cam follower 61 engaged the first step 29 on the buzzer release cam 27, the buzzer arm 53 was not released into operative position with respect to the pole piece 52. However, as described, when the buzzer cam follower 61 is moved onto the second step 30, as illustrated in FIG. 7, the buzzer stop shaft 59 is rotated to rotate the end 57 of the buzzer stop lever 58 away from the bottom of the slot 56 in the buzzer arm 53. This movement permits the spring 55 to pivot the buzzer arm 53 into operative position with respect to the pole piece 52. Because of the continued energization of the magnetic field structure 51 of the timer motor 23, the buzzer arm 53 vibrates and provides the audible signal indicating the approach of the end of the operating cycle of the appliance timer 10.

It is desirable to provide for preventing the release of the buzzer arm 53 or for moving it to the non operating position once it has started to operate and before the timer motor 23 is deenergized. For this purpose, as shown in FIG. 4, manually operable negator lever 64 is pivotally mounted on the cam shaft 25 adjacent the rear side of the metallic cover plate 20. A spring 65 is arranged to bias the a lever 64 in a clockwise direction. A cam 66 is provided at the upper end of the negator lever 64 and it is arranged to cooperate with the buzzer cam follower 61 for lifting it to a position where it cannot engage the second step 30. This rotates the buzzer stop shaft 59 and therewith the buzzer stop lever 58 to hold the buzzer arm 53 out of operative position with respect to the pole piece 52. At its lower end the lever '64 has a handle 67 which extends through a slot 68, FIG. 1, in the metallic cover plate 20 and support plate 11 to a position where it is readily accessible to the operator for shutting off the operation of the buzzer arm 53 or preventing its operation as may be desired.

In FIGS. 8 and 9 there is illustrated another arrangement for preventing operation of the buzzer arm 53 or stopping its operation. Here it will be observed that the buzzer stop lever 58 is provided with an extension 71 on the opposite side from the one end 57. A conical operator 72 is arranged to engage the extension 71 for rotating the buzzer stop lever 58 to shift the buzzer arm 53 to the inoperative position. The conical operator 72 is carried by a negator rod 73 which is endwise slidable through the back panel 15 of the support means 14, metallic cover plate 20 and the support plate 11 so that it is readily accessible from the front of the support plate 11. A detent groove 74 in the conical operator 72 is arranged to receive the extension 71 as shown by broken lines in FIG. 9 for the purpose of holding the buzzer arm 53 in the non operating position as long as the negator rod 73 remains in the depressed position. For releasing the buzzer arm 53, the negator rod 73 is pulled outwardly. The double headed arrow adjacent the negator rod 73 indicates that it is movable endwise in opposite directions to effect the functions just described.

In FIGS. 10 and 11 there is disclosed still another arrangement for either preventing operation of buzzer arm 53 or stopping its operation once it has started to operate in the manner above described. Here there is illustrated a negator rod 77 that is movable endwise and vertically for cooperating with the extension 71 on the buzzer stop lever 58. The negator rod 77 is slidably mounted in a wall 78 of the appliance and in an upper wall 79 thereof. In this manner it is guided for vertical endwise movement. A detent groove 80 at the lower end of the negator rod 77 is arranged to engage the rounded end of the extension 71 for holding the buzzer stop lever 58 in the position shown in FIG. 11 where the end 57 engages the bottom of the slot 56 to hold the buzzer arm 53 in the non operated position. A leaf spring 81, secured at 82 to the wall 78, serves to bias the negator rod 77 upwardly. A stop shoulder 83 that is formed integrally with the negator rod 77 serves to limit its upward movement as shown in FIG. 10 and its downward movement as shown in FIG. 11. The double headed arrows in FIGS. 10 and 11 indicate the vertical endwise movement of the negator rod 77 in pposite directions to control the operation of the buzzer arm 53 in the manner outlined.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A time switch and buzzer comprising support means,

an alternating current electric motor on said support means having a magnetic field structure including a laterally extending pole piece,

a buzzer arm movably mounted on said support means,

and overlying said pole piece,

contact means carried by said support means,

a contact operating cam rotatably mounted on said support means and driven by said motor to shift said contact means from one position to another position at a predetermined time,

buzzer stop means carried by said support means and connected to said buzzer arm to hold it in nonoperating position with respect to said pole piece, and

a buzzer release cam rotatable conjointly with said contact operating cam to shift said buzzer stop means to release said buzzer arm for operation under the influence of the magnetic field from said pole piece a predetermined time before said contact operating cam shifts said contact means from said one position to said other position.

2. The time switch and buzzer according to claim 1 wherein manually operable negator means is arranged and adapted to shift said buzzer stop means to hold said buzzer arm in said nonoperating position.

3. A time switch and buzzer comprising:

support means,

an electric motor on said support means,

a buzzer arm movably mounted on said support means,

contact means carried by said support means,

a cam shaft rotatably mounted on said support means and driven by said motor,

a contact operating cam on said cam shaft having a step below its peripheral surface for shifting said contact means from one position to another position at a predetermined time,

a contact cam follower engageable with said peripheral surface of said contact operating cam and the step therein for operating said contact means,

buzzer stop means carried by said support means and connected to said buzzer arm to hold it in non-operating position,

a buzzer release cam on said cam shaft having a step below its peripheral surface to shift said buzzer stop means for operation a predetermined time before said contact operating cam shifts said contact means from said one position to said other position, and

a buzzer cam follower engageable with said peripheral surface of said buzzer release cam and the step therein for releasing said buzzer arm characterized by engaging said step in said buzzer release cam to per mit operation of said buzzer before said contact arm follower engages said step in said contact operating cam to shift said contact means from said one position to said other position.

4. The time switch and buzzer according to claim 3 wherein said motor is energized when said contact means is in said one position and is deenergized when said contact means is in said other position.

5. The time switch and buzzer according to claim 3 wherein said contact cam follower is fulcrumed to one side of said cam shaft and said buzzer cam follower is fulcrumed to the opposite side of said cam shaft.

6. The time switch and buzzer according to claim 3 wherein said support means includes a panel with said motor and buzzer arm mounted on one side and said contact means, buzzer stop means, cams, cam shaft and cam followers mounted on the other side, said buzzer stop means includes a buzzer stop shaft rotatably mounted on and extending through said panel, 1

a stop arm is secured to one end of said buzzer stop shaft and carries said buzzer cam follower at its distal end, and

a buzzer stop lever is secured to the other end of said buzzer stop shaft and operatively engages said buzzer arm.

7. The time switch and buzzer according to claim 3 wherein said steps in said cams are in alignment and said buzzer cam follower is engageable with said step in said buzzer release cam in advance of engagement with said step in said contact operating cam by said contact cam follower.

8. The time switch and buzzer according to claim 3 wherein a manually operable negator lever is pivotally mounted on said cam shaft and is arranged to be moved into engagement with said buzzer cam follower to shift it out of said step in said buzzer release cam and hold said buzzer arm in said non-operating position.

9. The time switch and buzzer according to claim 8 wherein a cover overlies said cams and said manually operable lever extends through said cover.

10. The time switch and buzzer according to claim 6 wherein a negator rod is slidably mounted on said support means and is engageable with said buzzer stop lever to move said buzzer arm to said non-operating position.

11. The time switch and buzzer according to claim 10 wherein detent means on said negator rod hold said buzzer stop lever and thereby said buzzer arm in said nonoperating position.

12. The time switch and buzzer according to claim 10 wherein said negator rod extends parallel to said buzzer stop shaft.

13. The time switch and buzzer according to claim 10 wherein said negator rod extends at right angles to said buzzer stop shaft.

14. The time switch and buzzer according to claim 13 wherein detent means on said negator rod hold said buzzer stop lever and thereby said buzzer arm in said non-operating position, and

spring means bias said negator rod away from engagement with said buzzer stop lever.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,853,709 4/1932 Tibbetts 340-390 3,219,779 11/1965 Ziegler 200-38 X 3,440,813 4/ 1969 Kolodziej 58-19 X DONALD J. YUSKO, Primary Examiner M. SLOBASKY, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 58-19; 200-38 

